Stacy and Witbeck awarded Detroit streetcar contract

M-1 Rail has selected Stacy and Witbeck, Inc., to serve as construction manager/general contractor for the construction of the 3.3-mile Woodward Avenue streetcar in Detroit, Mich. M-1 Rail is slated to break ground by early fall between Larned Street and Adams Street in downtown Detroit.

"Stacy and Witbeck is an established leader in the construction of streetcar systems located in urban cores," said M-1 Rail Chief Operating Officer Paul Childs. "The company is uniquely qualified to manage all of the moving parts associated with a project of this scale. Stacy and Witbeck set the standard for how to construct the best modern streetcar lines in the United States and Detroit deserves to have nothing short of the best working on its streetcar project."

Stacy and Witbeck will begin pre-construction work, which includes assisting with the development of the Maintenance of Traffic strategy; reviewing design plans and providing input; working with M-1 Rail designer URS Corporation and owner's representative HNTB Michigan, Inc., to identify cost efficiencies and value engineering measures to ensure that final construction costs remain within budget; ordering the necessary materials and hiring sub-contractors and local workforce personnel.

Costs for construction of the streetcar circulator are estimated to be between $135 million and $145 million; this costs includes $35 million to $45 million for the state-and federally-funded Woodward Avenue reconstruction projects that will be completed in conjunction with the streetcar construction in Segment 2.